Chewing gum base



Patented June 30, 1942 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I cnnwmc our use Ied, Montreal, Quebec, Canada No Drawing. Application September 18, 1939,

Serial No. 295,513, lncanada August 3, 1939 1 Claim. ,Qi. 99-135) Thepresent invention relates to a chewing gum base and to improvements inthe materials which go to make up the base. I

Due to the dimculty in obtaining natural resins and gums, numerousattempts have been made to develop substitute bases having. syntheticmaterials as their main constituent. A further incentive to theseattempts has been the diiliculty in obtaining natural gums of standardquality and at a stable price.

Numerous synthetic materials and combinations have been tried. However,they have had odour and taste which have made them unsatisfactory.Tasteless and odourless polyvinyl esters, both alone and with variousextending agents have been tried with only qualified success. Thus apolyvinyl acetate-sulphur composition has been proposed. This has,however, the disadvantage that it blackens the gum making machinery nowused. A polyvinyl acetate-mineral filler composition has also beenproposed, the mineral filler b king used to overcome the tendency of theacetate to stick to the teeth. The disadvantage witlia this is that themineral filler, and particularly bentonite, is inclined to leave thepolyvinyl acetate as the gum is chewed. As a result there is anunpleasant rough sensation in the mouth which makes this compositionundesirable.

Polyvinyl ester-mineral filler compositions include of necessity aplasticiser which gives the synthetic compound the required chewingcharacteristics. The plasticizer must be physiologically innocuous,compatible with the ester, insoluble in water or saliva andsubstantially tasteless. Consequently the range of emcaciousplasticisers is restricted. Those generally used are the higher estersof the phthalic type such as diamyl and dibutyl phthalate. It has beenfound that the taste of the plasticisers cannot be detected when themineral filler is maintained in intimate contact with the polymer anddoes not get into the mouth.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome this disadvantageof previously known polyvinyl ester-mineral filler compositions and toprovide a composition which has no tendency to lose its mineral fillerupon being chewed, by incorporating in the composition an agent whichprevents the mineral filler from leaving the remainder of the gum base.

It is a further object of the invention to increase the range ofplasticisers which may be used by preventing the taste of theplasticisers being carried into the mouth by separation of the mineralfiller.

The chewing gum base according to the invention consists of a polyvinylester, a plasticiser, a

from the polyvinyl ester and enter the mouth. Although it has not beendetermined with certainty, it is thought that the action of the agentprevents the mineral filler from becoming wetted by the saliva when thegum is chewed. Accordingly for convenience the agent will be hereinafterreferred to as a non-wetting agent.

The polyvinyl ester, preferably polyvinyl acetate, has a viscosity ofbetween 1.5 and 6 centipoises and may contain not more than 0.05%aldehyde. The polyvinyl acetate used in "the examples has a viscosity of2.5 centipoises The plasticiser must be compatible with polyvinylacetate nontoxic and relatively insoluble in water. Due to the retentionof the filler in the composition even during chewing, the range ofplasticisers is increased and many of those which are now beingdeveloped will be suitable. Among those which have been successful aredibutyl phthalate, butyl phthalate, butyl phthalyl butyl glycollate,benzyl phthalate, amyl phthalate. The flavouring which is-used in theblending of the chewing gum will also have a softening action and sowhen the polymer'has a viscosity of approximately l.5 centipoises aplasticiser will not be required. The amount of plasticiser will thusvary with the viscosity of the polymer, the amount of filler and theamount of non-wetting agent.

The mineral ,filler may be any inert, smooth,

I tasteless, non-toxic and odour-less finely divided mineral material.The amount used will depend mineral filler and an agent which maintainsthe on the type of chewing gum base desired and the viscosity of thepolymer used. From 10 per cent to per cent mineral filler, based on thepolymer can be used. The cost of the gum base is higher with a smallamount of filler and the chewing qualities of the gum are not quite soexcellent if more than about 300 per cent is used.

7 The non-wetting agent is any non-toxic oleaginous substance which isfree from unpleasant taste or odour. The term oleaginous substance isused here to designate a wax, fat or oil or a mixture of the same. Theamount of non-wetting agent used depends upon the viscosity of thepolyvinyl ester, and the amount of plasticiser and mineral filler. Itshould be at least 10 per cent of the total ingredients.

Suitable colouring material can be added, brown iron oxides being quitesatisfactory.

The ingredients are blended in a jacketed mixer at a temperature of toC. and may be added in any order, although preferably the plasticizer,non-wetting agent and color are put in the mixer first and when they areblended the polyvinyl acetate and mineral filler'which have previouslybeen ground together are slowly added. The blending proceeds easily andrapidly and the blend is run into shallow pans about ten'minutes afterall of the ingredients have been added.

The following examples are given by way of illustration. The percentagesare by weight.

Dibutyl phthalate -1 11 25 trample IV Per cent Polyvinyl acetate V 2.545 Talc 82 Carnauba we 11 Dibutyl phthalate 12 Example V I Y Per centPolyvinyl acetate V 2.5. 39 Challr 25 Kieselguhr 12 Paramn 12 Butylphthalyl butyl glycollate 11 What I claim is:

A chewing gum base comprising a tasteless and odourless polyvinyl ester;9. plasticiser compatible with polyvinyl ester, non-toxic and relativelyinsoluble in water; a mineral filler in the term of an inert, smooth,tasteless, non-toxic, odourless, finely divided mineral material; and anon-toxic oleaginous substance free from unpleasant taste or odour andadapted to prevent separation between the flller and ester.

GEORGE JAMES MANSON.

